Catherine has been enjoying the single life for long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic, spontaneous – Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell. But there is a darker side to Lee. His erratic, controlling and sometimes frightening behaviour means that Catherine is increasingly isolated. Driven into the darkest corner of her world, and trusting no one, she plans a meticulous escape.

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Publisher's Summary

AMAZON BOOK OF THE YEAR 2011

WINNER OF AMAZON RISING STARS 2011

AMAZON EDITORS' CHOICE BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2011

LONGLISTED FOR CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2011

Catherine has been enjoying the single life for long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic, spontaneous – Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell.

But there is a darker side to Lee. His erratic, controlling and sometimes frightening behaviour means that Catherine is increasingly isolated. Driven into the darkest corner of her world, and trusting no one, she plans a meticulous escape. Four years later, struggling to overcome her demons, Catherine dares to believe she might be safe from harm. Until one phone call changes everything.

This is an edgy and powerful first novel, utterly convincing in its portrayal of obsession, and a tour de force of suspense.

“From its uncompromising prologue - a young woman being bludgeoned to death in a ditch - Haynes's powerful account of domestic violence is disquieting, yet unsensationalist. This is a gripping book on a topic which can never be highlighted enough.” (Guardian)

“A very impressive first novel. The pain and frustration of OCD is brilliantly evoked and I winced every time Cathy embarked on yet another ritual. The contrast between Cathy's two lives is cleverly drawn and the hesitancy in her new relationship is very believable. This is a fantastic personal read with plenty for a reading group to discuss.” (NewBooks Magazine)

“Within ten minutes I couldn't put it down. I've always said that I would never be caught in an abusive relationship, as I'd be out of it at the first sign of a problem but after reading this book I realised that it really isn't that simple. There's a superb picture of the burdens of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). It's not enough to check once that the door is firmly locked. What if you didn't lock it properly? There's real dramatic tension in this book and when I got to the end the first thing that I did was to turn back to the beginning again.” (The Bookbag)

“A tense and thought-provoking début novel with dark moments. Its portrayal of obsession is one that will send a shiver down your spine and you'll hope that you are never in that position. But don't look for a "pat" ending - it seems that things never end the way one hopes! This début novel by a police intelligence analyst is certainly well worth the read.” (Shotsmag)

“Our South coast-based book group had been starved of a good book for a month or two, so it was with some excitement that we stumbled across the buzz on Twitter about Elizabeth Haynes' compelling debut novel Into the Darkest Corner. Thankfully starvation swiftly changed to gluttony when we got our hands on the book, as this is a compulsive thriller with sufficient twists and plot turns to keep the most action-avaricious of readers satisfied.” (Bookgroup.info)

This is a real page-turner. If you like a good suspense story, you will want to read this one. For a first novel Elizabeth Haynes has written an awards winner. She handles dialogue like a veteran writer. Her choice of time technique to tie major strands of the plots together is effective and fits the elements of the story perfectly. It is especially well suited to portray the development of the psychoses of the two primary characters.

In addition to being a really good read (listen), it aroused my curiosity about the mental/emotional conditions suffered by Catherine and Lee. I knew almost nothing about OCD; I did not realize how painful and destructive it is. The descriptions of the behaviors of Lee raised questions read about too often in news reports about the impact of the constant high level of stress has on police officers and their families.

A good book poses questions, offers something to think about and entertains. This is a good book. Enjoy.

In response to reviewers who commented on the story's predictability, this is more of a psychological thriller than a real mystery. We know from the beginning who was harmed and who did the crime. The story gradually unfolds the details of how the crime occured and the consequences very effectively through the parallel time lines and stark personality changes of before and after the trauma. The Catherine of the early years was flawed and a little hard to like, but the Cathy of the later years, while difficult to deal with locked in her OCD purgatory, was one to root for to come out of her dark into the light of the truly living. As readers, our perceptions are challenged by the very flaws and weaknesses of both versions of Catherine. There were a few spots in the narrative where I needed to suspend belief a bit regarding what choices key characters made in what they did or did not communicate, but not enough of a flaw to downgrade my rating.

The strength of the writing and the dialogue ensured that I believed this story. I believed Cathy's fear, her need for control. I believed Stuart's concern and I definitely believed Lee's evil. The extremely well done reading by Karen Cass made these characters real. True enough, the subject matter is dark - no feel-good cheerleading going on here, but happily there are some unexpected little shots of humor tossed in for balance. And the ending was well handled - the destination worth the journey. There was no standing on the outside passively watching - I was fully pulled in right through to the end.

This book held my interest throughout. The story line is engaging, I wanted to get back to the story to find out what happens next. However this author lacks "chops". Her style is a bit sophomoric . Ms. Haynes presents the reader/listener one dimensional characters that are there only for the plot if that makes any sense; the characters have little else going on. I also feel that this book would benefit from more/better editing. BUT...I liked it anyway.

When Catherine meets Lee he’s charming and passionate and everything she thinks she’s looking for. But in a carefully plotted narrative that cuts between Catherine’s care-free past and her damaged paranoid present, Elizabeth Haynes shows how what seems like love can and rapidly morph into brutal obsession and abuse. Full of the same dread and creepiness present in Gone Girl, Into the Darkest Corner catches you totally off guard as you wonder how you never saw the inevitable coming.

Okay -- it's a great book, if you can get past the first four hours or so. I was almost ready to give up -- even checked, midstream, to see what other readers were saying. How could they have liked something so boring? I had almost completely run out of patience with hour after hour of tales of working girls drinking themselves into oblivion at night, looking for someone to "shag", then struggling to work in the morning, hungover. Way too much of that. We get the idea. I also spent time pondering why it is that women who like the bad boys of the bunch, are surprised to find out that they're really ... uh... bad? Seems to be a syndrome.

But all was redeemed as the end of Part One loomed. The story took off, and from then on, I was hooked. Very good -- lots of 'hold your breath' moments, lots of interesting twists. I'm now sitting here, knowing that whatever I choose to listen to next won't be as good.

Special kudos to the narrator, Karen Cass. I don't recall listening to anything she's read before, but I will definitely seek her work out. She was absolutely perfect for this book, but I suspect she'd be great at other British novels, too. Really an excellent job -- just flawless. She did a lot of make this book the gripping listen that it was.

I wanted very much to get into this book, and to follow all the hype, but...

While the topic and premise for the story are "spot on", I as a reader usually like to hear more from, and more about, the characters in terms of backstory, interests outside of the primary story arc, life trajectories, all in all just more context. But not TOO much - just a Goldilocks version. This book is the pared-down Baby Bear version, and reading "Darkest Corner" is like looking through a peephole into various aspects of relationship dysfunction and violence. I can't seem to get the whole picture, can't get any peripheral vision here.

Also, the story is carried almost exclusively by dialogue - perhaps would make a better play than novel - and as a personal preference I like more description of location and characterization; at least a sense of place to set the scenes and create a relatable ambience. Here in the "Darkest Corner" the characters seem flat, uninteresting in themselves and for the most part uninterested in themselves, and they are laid out only as game pieces in the advancement of an ominous situation. What can you do with a story with primary characters whose chief activity is hanging out in pubs?

This kind of situational story has good potential, especially the detailed snail's pace advancement of the plot lines, which makes for gripping intimacy and creates visceral reactions in the reader. Unfortunately, well, I have to say this came off as bare bones, just not enough.

This was a real "page-turner" as they say although of course I was listening to it. The narrator is first rate. I felt like she could have been in my living room telling me about her life. That's how good she was and how real it seemed as she was relating the story. I highly recommend this book.

This is a difficult book to listen to. Perhaps it's better in written form, where the reader can constantly skip back to re-check the dates for clarification. Here, the back-and-forth-in-time structure of the whole thing is simply confusing.Although the topic is timely and taken seriously in the plot, there is really nothing unexpected or particularly surprising that happens. It is simply the story of terrible things that happen to not very appealing people. There are many better thrillers out there; I don't recommend this one.

Personally, I found this novel talked to me as a woman in a past stage of my life. I am so glad that books like this are being written so that women can "come out of the darkest corner" and have the courage to point a finger at their abusers! the whole book was beautifully written with tenderness and never straying away from the sweet character of the main person, yet the OCB was well scripted into the story. The whole tale was gripping and held you right to the end with an unexpected twist. An excellent book, well recommended to both men and women.

I was unsure what to say in this review. To say I enjoyed listening to this seems wrong somehow, yet I really did enjoy it. At times it had me in tears and is quite harrrowing in places, especially thinking about the thousands of people going through abuse like this every day. I am not sure it really needed the two narrators as I thought the main one was very good.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Clodagh

leixlip, Ireland

5/5/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Amazing!"

I strongly recommend this audio book. It was captivating from beginning to end. An absolute delight to listen to

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Gill

sabden, United Kingdom

1/2/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Negative comments not merited, I loved it!"

I loved this book. The story was gripping and was just graphic enough in detail to make it real. The swearing was needed to keep the edge and reflect the aggression. I particularly liked the use of the different dates and the different style used for the court case at the end. I certainly dont agree it was confusing. Given the varied quality of audio books I thought the negative reviews are not at all merited.

If I had a complaint it would be the Lancashire accent which sometimes missed but it was good enough. But then I do have a true Lancashire accent!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Alex J. Littlewood

Bradford

11/28/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Another cracker from Elizabeth Haynes"

Would you listen to Into the Darkest Corner again? Why?

The story is one that captivates you from the off. A story that can and has happened in real life and the characters each bringing their own slant to the story. True life situations especially those suffering from OCD will relate to aspect of the book. A must read for all fans of the genre

What other book might you compare Into the Darkest Corner to, and why?

Cant say ive read one with a similar story but recommendations would be Human Remains also by Ms Haynes which had me hooked from start to finish

Have you listened to any of David Thorpe and Karen Cass ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Karan Cass twice before and she gives a flawless performance in this book with accents and variations for each character. David's performance is similar although his part is smaller that that of Ms Cass

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Danger lurks around every corner, so check it six times

Any additional comments?

I would urge you to read Human Remains by the same author. First class read.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Alan

BASINGSTOKE, United Kingdom

10/18/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"well im enjoying it!!"

Is there anything you would change about this book?

no

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

would not have changed it.

What aspect of David Thorpe and Karen Cass ’s performance might you have changed?

karens tone grated a little, but not enough for me to switch off.

Did Into the Darkest Corner inspire you to do anything?

no

Any additional comments?

only reason for me to comment is that i thought all the negative reviews were not justified.Its not the best audio download I've ever listened to, but its certainly not the worst either.Also made me aware of the serous ramifications of domestic violence.Im 'mid listen' at the moment, and have no intention of not completing the book.Well done Elizabeth Haynes.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

L. H. De Laune

UK

10/8/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Utterly Compelling listening"

Any additional comments?

I found this book extremely gripping and tense, and the author managed to keep the tension going by the clever use of past and present tense. As soon as I'd finished it I wanted to listen to the opening paragraphs again. The difficult subject matter was handled intelligently, and I was never irritated by Catherine's compulsions. It was really hard to believe this character would get the 'happy ever after' we so wanted for her... but I won't spoil it for you!Took it on holiday, and consequently barely spoke to my poor husband for the first two days, as I couldn't stop listening until I knew the outcome for Catherine.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Gloria

Didcot, United Kingdom

3/7/12

Overall

"Into the darkest corner"

This was a very good book well written and very well read. If I have one critiscism it is that too many four letter words were used. I have no objection at all to strong language in fact it makes the story and characters more believable but in many cases less is more.However, I will watch with great interest for the next novel from this author.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Mandie

United States

3/18/12

Overall

"Good Story Spoiled"

Overall I almost enjoyed this book, but the strong desire to turn off happened more than once. The two different narrators was confusing especially when at one moment Sylvia was being done in a woman's voice and I knew who she was, to being done in a man's voice during the chapters done in court. Also the constant naming of who was speaking every time the character changed in the court chapters was just simply annoying, we should not need "Miss Bartlett", "Mrs Scott" etc etc before every sentence to know who was speaking, the narrator should be able to convey this. Not sure why the narrator changed, would have been preferable for the female narrator to continue throughout the whole book. I also found the great overuse of the "F" word thoughout the book completely unneccesary. I could see the point in the darker sides to the story but at the beginning and throughout most of the book, using bad language was not required. All in all I persevered to the end of this book but would not recommend unless you had nothing better to listen to.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Lee

IPSWICH, United Kingdom

4/10/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Meanders all over the place"

What disappointed you about Into the Darkest Corner?

The story jumped backwards and forwards. Was not sure whether I was more annoyed by the pathetic heroine or the author.

What could Elizabeth Haynes have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Written in a straight line so that the reader had a chance to follow the plot. Make the heroine less " really annoying".

What character would you cut from Into the Darkest Corner?

The main characters - expected to hate him but after 5 chapters he had only been in the prologue. She I really hated very early on, her ACD was very annoying when read out. Think tap tap ad naseum.

Any additional comments?

Do not bother it does not convert well to an audio book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

old gal

fife, scotland

4/13/13

Overall

"exellent book"

I loved this book. the author really built the suspense up throughout starting with seemingly innocent events happening to the main character by her new boyfriend which she shrugged off and made excuses for until she was totally under his control. I also loved how the book was split into alternative chapters four years apart, telling of her life from when she first met him to a few years later trying to move on and come to terms with the hell he put her through. highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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